I'll Be Seeing You
by kasiulka
Summary: 5 years after graduation life has not turned out the way they had planned, however they must battle on to find love despite the cruel hand fate has delt.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The light of the new day was slowly beginning to flicker through the partly open blue plaid curtains casting life into the previous desperately dark and dank room.

As the rays reached further into the room, they landed onto the shape of a man sprawled out on the large double bed in the middle of the room.

Lucas lay spread out on his bed, one hand thrown behind his head which was resting against the headboard, legs stretched the length of the furniture not having moved for the past 3 hours or so since he had first woken not having been able to sleep, except to reach for the object he kept safely hidden in his wallet away from the prying and questioning eyes of his family and friends.

His azure eyes caressed the slightly yellowed, somewhat rumple piece of paper lovingly while his thumb traced the outline of the girl in the picture, the girl he loved. If his house was on fire, and he were told that he was only allowed to rescue one object it would be this beloved photo he would save.

He smiled slightly has he thought back to the day the photo was taken. It was the night of the graduation party at Rachel's house. The whole gang was there, Hayley, Nathan, Mouth, Skills, Brooke and of course the girl of his dreams, Peyton.

Her mass of golden girls cascaded loosely around her delicate face, her green eyes twinkled with the joy of graduation and the hope for the future a beautiful if playful smile graced her lips.

That night had been so special what with the celebration of Jamie's birth, the renditions of the Spice Girls and all the drink any self respecting teen could manage. The laughter and easiness of being young made the atmosphere light, oh if they only knew what the future would bring...

But that lightness that was so abundant in this heart that far gone evening was now merely a distant memory. The feeling as distant to him as that night was. That night truly was the end of an era, the last time they would all be truly happy together, the last night together before a part of Lucas died.

Lucas was pulled from his silent reverie by a gentle knock to his door, the door slowly opening to reveal the soft chocolate eyes and hair of his little sister Lilly.

Lucas swung his feet onto the ground quickly slipping the photo he held in his hand under his pillow so for it not to be noticed before turning his attention to the little cherub before him.

"Good morning Lilly bear" he said embracing the little girl who had flung herself into her big brother's safe arms.

He lifted her onto his lap when a confused look came across Lucas' face. "You know what Lils? I think that you're getting too big, I won't be able to pick you up soon."

The little girl was appalled, "No!" she said looking panicked and shaking her pigtails. Before her shock could develope into tears Lucas threw her onto the bed and started tickeling her much to her delight.

Coming to the partly open door of her son's room Karen was met by the delighted shrieks of her litter girl and laughter of her not so little boy. The sight that met her made her heart swell, all a mother could really wish for her children was that they be truly happy and Lucas was rarely as happy as he was when playing with his little sister.

As best as he tried to hide it from his mother and his friends and over the years Lucas had gotten very good at masking his true emotions, Karen could see that her son's eyes no longer sparkled the way they used to, that a part of him was maybe forever, she hated to admit missing. The closest Lucas ever came to truly being his old self was when he was with Lilly and Karen relished those rare moments.

"Come on you two monsters, breakfast is ready; we have a busy day let's get moving." Lilly sprang to her feet and scuttled off the bed running to her mother taking her by the hand and leading her to the kitchen. Karen turned round to see her son rise to his feet sending him a gentle smile before following her daughter.

Some 30 minutes later the Scott-Rowe family were sat around the table enjoying their blueberry pancakes and mindless chatter when the kitchen door suddenly flew open.

"Sup dawgs." Entering the house a suit carrier slung over his shoulder his ever present swagger very much evident Skills bumped fists with Lucas "Luke my man" bending down he repeated the motion with Lilly "My main girl Lilly in da house" causing giggles to erupt from the little girls. He then leaned down throwing is free arm around Karen "Ms R looking mighty fine as always!"

"Ever the charmer Skills" Karen smiled as she stood up to begin clearing the table. Grinning he sat down directly opposite Lucas having hooked his suit onto the door frame.

"So how you feeling bro?"

Lucas gave him a small smile which Skills noticed didn't quite reach his eyes and a shrug of his shoulders. "I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be." He quietly started swirling the steaming black coffee in his cup staring into it as though it held the secrets of life within it's green ceramic walls.

"For the record bro, I think you're doing the right thing, she'd want you to be happy man and..." Skills broke off not wanting to carry on. "But if you getting cold feet I could always take her off your hands bro."

Lucas chuckled in response shaking his head.

"All right then man... let's go get you married."


	2. Chapter 2

First of all thank you for all the wonderful reviews I really wasn't expecting them.

This is my first fic so if you have any pointers I'll gladly take them. As for the story itself it may be a little weird and I don't know exactly where I'm going with it but I'll do my best, and like I said any ideas...throw them my way.

Chapter 2

Lucas stood in front of the mirror in the groom's dressing room looking at himself dressed in a crisp charcoal suit and white shirt, he reached his hands up to straighten his tie as the door opened and Nathan stepped into the room.

"Looking good man" Nathan grinned at his elder brother.

"What's got you looking so happy?" Lucas questioned as Nathan rocked on his heels, hands in pocket a massive if somewhat goofy smile plastered on his face.

"What can I say, I just love weddings." He shrugged

"Alright" Lucas threw his brother a bewildered look.

"This all reminds me of the day I married Hayley." He explained. "Both times were unforgettable but the second was extra special. I think that was the happiest day of my life, well second happiest after Jamie's birth." Nathan sank into a nearby arm chair while Lucas continued to stare at himself in the full length mirror. "It's such a special and gratifying thing, to pledge to love just one person. The feeling that out of all the people in the world you managed to meet the other half of your soul, the one person who completes you. How amazing it is to promise to protect them through whatever the world throws your way, to spend all your precious moments with them, pledge your life, your heart to them in effect. It's the beginning of a whole new life, you're no longer on your own; you know that no matter what she will always be there. I think it's a beautiful thing is all."

Lucas had turned to look out the window whilst his brother spoke.

Noticing his brother's demeanour Nathan chided himself for being so intensive he knew that this was going to be a very difficult day for Lucas on many levels. "I'm sorry man, you ok?"

Spinning around "Yeah, I'm fine; I think I'll get some air before this thing gets on the way." With that said Lucas turned and left the room.

Lucas walked through the grounds of the church, the gentle breeze lifting the leaves off the trees and causing them to flutter to the ground. Lucas expertly steered himself through the sea of trees and headstones until he found himself in front of the familiar grey stone.

Bringing the crimson rose to his lips Lucas placed a soft kiss onto the petals before placing it at the foot of the stone. He stared at the engraved words, still struggling to comprehend their meaning. .. _In loving memory of Peyton Sawyer, beloved daughter and friend. _

Those words seemed so cold, so final, so cruel. Every time he thought of them they tore at his heart breaking another little piece of it. How could it be, that all that was left of his fun loving, carefree, beautiful Peyton was a cold and solemn piece of stone?

"Oh Peyton, I miss you so much." Lucas murmured gently as he crouched leaning against the head stone in exhaustion and despair, composing himself he said "So today's my wedding day." Signing he continued "It's not exactly how I imagined it, I mean I thought my bride would have curly blonde hair..." A strangled sob escaped his throat. "Oh Peyton I'm so sorry."

"Luke" Brooke's raspy voice called out as she laid a hand on Lucas' shoulder. "I thought I might find you here. Everyone's looking for you they were beginning to get worried the ceremony is about to start."

"Ok." He signed. "I just wanted to tell her goodbye, and say sorry." Noticing the perplexed look Brooke was giving him he explained. "Sorry for not staying faithful to her, for marrying someone else..."

"Hey, hey" Brooke demanded his attention gently. "She forgives you. I'm sure of it. I know how much she loved you; she would want you to be happy."

"I just, I can't stand that everyone is moving on with their lives. Everyone's forgetting her!" The last bit came out as a pained cry.

"Don't, don't you dare" Brooke was angry, her finger pointing in his face. "She was my best friend, the closest thing I had to a family in the whole world. When my father was God knows where playing golf, Victoria drunk in some top end New York bar who was there for me, huh Lucas? Peyton that's who. Dammit, Lucas so don't you dare even think that I've forgotten her."

"I know, I know I just wish so much that we knew what happened, that we knew the truth."

"Yeah me too..." Brooke looked sadly at her best friend's headstone. "Come on let's go."

Before following Brooke, Lucas took one last look at the sombre, grey stone and whispered "Goodbye baby."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Uncle Skills?" Not getting a response Jamie tugged on his Uncles jacket trying to get his attention. "Uncle Skills?"

"What's up J-man?" Skills said turning his attention from the conversation he had been having with Mouth to look at the little boy sitting by his side.

"I need to pee" Jamie said squirming slightly in his seat.

"Erm, well..." Skills stuttered. He was good with kids but not with this sort of thing.

"I can go by myself" Jamie said eagerly.

"Oh. Good. Yeah. Come back as soon as you're done" he warned.

"You got it!" Jamie quickly scuttled out of the pew and made his way to the back of the church where the toilets were located.

Having made his way back from the cemetery Lucas was now stood at the front of the church by the alter, Nathan his best man by his side.

The church had filled up Lucas's friends and family on the right hand side, with his mother sitting in the first pew the space beside her where Keith should have been sat empty. Lucas paused his scan of the church his eye's hovering over that empty seat; he couldn't help the anger that rose up in his chest. The man he looked to as his father was not here to witness this day because of the actions of the man who actually along with his mother gave him life, Dan Scott. The name alone was enough to give him chills and make his hands ball into fists, he still, 5 years after finding out what happened in that god forsaken school hallway could not fathom his biological father's actions. Oh how different this day had turned out then he had imagined when he was a young boy.

Resuming his scan of the hall before him Lucas turned to look to the other side of the church where his soon to be wife's family sat in all their finery.

Lindsey's mother smiled lovingly at him which he returned in sort. The stately older woman had come to love him dearly for bringing such happiness into her daughter's life. He hated that he had to divert his eyes quickly feeling a bit of a fraud.

He was Lindsey's first choice. He was the one who made her heart flutter and smile at the thought of their life together of the children they would soon have.

But Lindsey was not Lucas' first choice of wife. Not that he would ever admit that to her or her mother. For the future that Lucas dreamt of involved blond, curly haired, blue eyed children a perfect mix of their parents. He knew however that would only ever happen in his dreams, but God did he cherish those dreams. The reality was that there was no chance of it ever happening so he had decided to settle for second best.

Lucas took a deep breath berating himself for the thoughts that were running through his head on his wedding day. He had to get a grip. Peyton had been gone for 5 years. Yes they might have been the longest and saddest 5 years of his life and something told him that the years to come would not be much easier, but he had come to terms with the fact that he would never see or touch her again. So why now, on the day of his wedding to Lindsey, sweet, caring , lovely Lindsey could he think of nothing but Peyton.

His mind flashed back to the day his world had literally come falling down around him.

_It was nearing the end of the summer after senior year. They had been blissfully happy for the last couple of months but the day that she would have to leave for LA was slowly looming. Trying to put the thought of her leaving out of his mind and determined to enjoy their day together Lucas jogged up the front steps to her house. He raised his hand to knock on her door but got no response. Chuckling he reached out to open the door, not surprisingly it was not locked. _

_Opening the door he was met with the sounds of her music blaring out. Typical Peyton he thought to himself as he made his way to the stairs. _

"_Peyt, baby you up there?" he called out so as not to startle her. He got no response so continued on up the stairs. _

_Lucas was half way up the stairs when he noticed a smudge of crimson of the magnolia wall. His heart started beating faster, something was not right. He took a slow, cautious step. More crimson. This definitely wasn't paint. It was blood, Peyton's blood and it was everywhere! _

_He sprinted into her room but stopped dead in his tracks his blood running cold in his veins. Her room was ransacked. The shelves broken into pieces, her beloved records strewn across the room, pictures smashed on the floor, her desk and computer hurled across the other side and more blood, so much blood... _

_He screamed out her name "Peyton!" frantically searching for her. He dialled her mobile in vain only to her it ring from inside the room. Tears were now pouring from his eyes. He thought his heart was actually going to explode. Where the hell was she?_

_He had called the police. They had come, taken photos, finger prints, interviewed him and everyone they knew but there was no sign of her. Bulletins showing her story had been aired nationwide begging for information of her whereabouts. But nothing ever came to light._

_Although her body was never found and they never knew what actually happened to her the coroner ruled that from the amount of blood found at the scene she was dead. _

Lucas was pulled from the scene from 5 years ago that still haunted his every waking and sleeping moment into the present day as the church organ's chimes sounded through the old building.

First came Lily scattering pink petals, followed by Hayley smiling happily clutching a bouquet of flowers. Finally the doors at the back of the church opened, the organ chimed the first notes of the bridal march and Lindsey appeared, her hair scraped severely back into a bun her eyes dancing with joy.

Lucas had turned to look at his bride, to wait for her to make her way to him. His heart stopped. He blinked, once, twice. He must be dreaming, it couldn't be real...

There she was towards the back of the church, looking breathtaking, angelic even, in a simple white dress that fell to her knee.

His mind must be playing tricks on him he thought. He couldn't wait anymore, couldn't just stand there. He took off down the steps leading from the alter two at a time.

The congregation let out a series of "aws" thinking that he couldn't wait for his bride to reach him and that he was going to her, but they fell into a shocked silence as he pushed past the bride and continued down the aisle.

Lindsey froze the smile dropping from her face. "Lucas" she cried out turning to look after him "Where are you going?" She fell to the floor her gown pooling round her.

Coming to a stop he reached his hand out to touch the beauty in front of him, fear that this wasn't real gripping every inch of his being, fear that his mind was indeed playing a cruel trick.

His voice was thick with emotion as he whispered "Peyton?"

She nodded, tears pooling in her eyes just as they were in his. "Luke..." God her voice was like music to his ears.

He reached his other had to caress her soft cheek not daring to believe that she was standing here in front of him. Tears gathered in his eyes making them sparkle.

In the distance the church doors opened again. "Momma, momma she's got a gun!" Jamie ran into the church closely followed by a crazed looking Carried pointing a gun wildly.

Bang!

Screams sounded from all around as people dove for cover.

Peyton's face turned from one of pure joy to one of pain in mere seconds as she crumbled to the ground a red stain soaking her white dress.


	4. Chapter 4

First off, thank you for all the wonderful reviews they really make me smile. And secondly I know absolutely nothing about medicine so I'm sorry if things aren't accurate.

Chapter 4

Sheer pandemonium broke out, people dove for cover into the pews of the church, screaming in fright. Yet he only saw her, her life quickly ebbing away.

"No!" he demanded. "Not again dam it. I just got you back, you do not get to leave me again, do you hear me? You do not get to leave me."

Lucas had fallen to the ground with her in his arms, he gently stroked her cheek, while her blood soaked through his once crisp white shirt. "Peyton, please, please baby stay with me". He pleaded in vain, but she could no longer hear him.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The next hour or so was a blur, an ambulance had appeared, paramedics had rushed to his side and taken her out of his arms bundling her into the waiting ambulance into which he too jumped desperate to remain by her side.

He was now sitting in the sterile, empty waiting room on an uncomfortable plastic chair, his head in his hands, waiting in vain for some news, any news.

The doors suddenly burst open; Brooke flew in closely followed by Nathan and Haley. They had been held up at the church with police taking their statements and making sure that Jamie was ok after his ordeal.

"Tell me that was who I think it was" Brooke demanded harshly "Lucas!" she shouted when she received no response from the blond man.

"Huh?" Lucas said sitting up straighter in the chair, he had been so involved in his own thoughts that he had not even heard his friends enter. "How's Jamie?" he asked not really looking at anyone.

"What the hell..." Brooke lunged at him but was held back by Nathan. It was Haley who answered him.

"He's fine Luke. He's with Deb and your mom" She reassured him quickly to which he responded by absently nodding his head. "Lucas..." Haley asked carefully approaching him and gently reaching for his hand silently demanding that he look at her "Was that Peyton at the back of the church?" She was almost scared to ask the question that was on everybody's minds.

"Yeah" was his only answer.

Brooke gasped, her knees buckling under her, Nathan only barely managing to hold her up. Everyone in the room fell into a stunned silence, even Haley could not find any words.

"What happened, where is my ?" Brooke's request was much softer this time barely able to contain her sobs.

Lucas finally looked up at his friends, if only briefly. "She was shot. She was...God she was so pale...they took her into surgery as soon as we got here." A sob broke from the depths of his throat. "What if she dies?"

Brooke was by his side in seconds embracing him in a fierce hug. "She won't" She said with conviction. Before he could protest she continued "Its we're talking about, that girl is a fighter, she has been through so much crap in her life but she always pulls through. She came back to us didn't she?" She asked rhetorically "She is going to come back to us again."

"I don't think I could survive if she doesn't make it." Lucas mumbled against Brooke's hair.

Everyone's heart was breaking not only for the blond girl who had been gone for so long but also for the broken blond man sitting in the chair who was clearly still desperately in love with her.

Seconds became minutes, minutes becoming hours, time passed at an excruciatingly slow rate for the young friends sitting waiting on news of their friend.

Hayley started speaking simply to fill the silence that was encompassing them all. "I can't believe this. How did today go to hell? To think I trusted that woman with my family, with my son, that son of a..." She took a deep breath as Nathan's hold around her strengthened. "I swear to God when I get my hands on her..."

"He got away?" Lucas enquired his voice raw.

It was Nathan who answered him "Yeah she got away in the panic, the police are looking her for but God knows where she is now."

Finally the door opened interrupting the tense conversation and a weary looking surgeon entered removing his scrub cap. "Peyton Sawyer?" he called out. Lucas immediately rose from his chair approaching the doctor, Brooke followed placing a comforting hand on Lucas' arm not only for his benefit but for hers too.

"We were able to remove the bullet and we repaired the damage as best as we could, but the damage was extensive. The bullet nicked a number of organs and Miss Sawyer suffered massive internal bleeding. I'm afraid that there is no guarantee that she will pull through the night." The doctor looked at the distraught face of the young man before him and signed "All we can do is wait, wait and pray."


End file.
